


Forgiving Snape

by LilyMJFae



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-15 04:47:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10550302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilyMJFae/pseuds/LilyMJFae
Summary: Harry and Luna have conversation about Severus at his grave.





	

_Severus Tobias Snape_

_January 9, 1960_

_May 2, 1998_

Harry stared down at the grave next to his parents. He had thought it would be a nice gesture, given how the man had felt about his mother and the trouble he'd gone to protect him. Yet something felt wrong. It felt unfinished and he felt like he needed to do more.

"I think that he'd appreciate that," came a soft bell-like voice.

Harry turned to find the blonde silver-eyed girl as she walked up to join him.

"I don't know," Harry responded quietly, "he didn't seem to appreciate much of anything."

"I don't think he was ever really given anything to appreciate."

"He was cruel and harsh."

"That's all he was ever really shown, except by your mother. And he was maintaining an appearance to protect everyone."

He looked at her. She was so quick to protect their old professor. She was quick to protect anyone she believed to be innocent. It was like she didn't have it in her heart to believe the worst in people.

"Harry, did I ever tell you what he did?"

"Well, no, I don't believe so."

Luna turned her head from him and looked at the grave.

"While I was being held hostage, for the most part I was left alone," she started. "Being a pureblood, Voldemort didn't want to hurt me, he wanted to turn me. And he wanted to make sure that my father would cooperate, because if I had been hurt, he never would have."

Harry nodded and waited for her to continue.

"So, I lived in that dungeon-basement. I did my best to tend to Mr. Ollivander, because they were torturing him for information. And I helped Griphook too, though he was shocked that I even considered it.

"That's how it went. Except that one day, I was taken. I was taken and led by a house elf into a room with Bellatrix and her husband."

Harry looked at her, concerned about whatever she might reveal.

"They were standing on opposite ends of the room, as if they really couldn't stand each other. But they both grinned when they saw me. And both of them had their wands out and ready. The door closed behind me. They were talking to me, but I don't really remember what they were saying. I just remember the sudden searing pain. It felt like my insides had been set on fire and like I was being beaten. It didn't take long for my voice to become hoarse, because no matter how hard I wanted to not scream, no matter how hard I tried to not give them that satisfaction, I screamed.

"I don't know how long it went on. But I remember clearly the door behind me slamming open. There were his black robes, billowing around him. I would have been terrified. Except that he stopped them. He asked why they thought they had the right to defy Voldemort. Then he took me to a different room. Not that dungeon. I think it was his room. He gave me a potion. It made that lingering pain disappear. Then he gave me another potion, dreamless sleep I think, because I passed out. When I woke up, I was back in the dungeon.

"He saved me from a terrible fate, because I know those two wouldn't have stopped. He protected his students. Every chance he had."

Luna finally met Harry's gaze again. "I think the truth is that we never appreciated him."

"You're probably right about that," Harry said. He had no idea what to say in response to the actions that had been dealt to her. "I'm sorry they did that."

"It's happened. And it's the past now. And others came out far worse."

"Don't- "

"I'm not saying it's not important. It is. But I was lucky enough to not be mistreated like others. Hermione's arm will be scarred forever. Ron, George, Ginny, they lost their brother. Teddy lost both of his parents. I was tortured, and I still have to deal with that sometimes."

"How do you keep so positive?"

She smiled. "I have hope. I always have. It's the only thing that I've always had, despite the way I was treated. And I have hope that people will forgive him for what he did to protect us all. He must have been rather lonely."

"I feel like there's more that I could do for him. After everything I learned about him, I don't know what I can do," Harry said softly.

"Well, have you forgiven him?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Perhaps then the next step is to help him earn the forgiveness he desrves. You know, he doesn't get a portrait as headmaster. They won't give him one because he abandoned his post."

"He only abandoned it to protect himself and to protect McGonagall."

"That's not what they see."

"Well they should. They heard everything I told Voldemort. Everyone heard every word I said."

"I think perhaps they were all focusing on trying to figure out the fact that you survived the killing curse, again."

"He deserves to be remembered as a headmaster. He deserves to be remembered as the hero he was."

"Well, they might need someone else to show them the person he really was. He didn't exactly show anyone else."

"He never showed me exactly."

"Hermione mentioned something about memories, once."

"Yeah. When he was dying, his memories were…leaking I guess. I don't understand how that works exactly. But I saw a lot of things. And I understood a lot more than I ever had. He was even furious that I was supposed to die."

"For someone that supposedly hated you, that seems pretty contradictory."

"I suppose so."

"Harry?" called another voice. The two of them turned to see Ginny running up. "Come on, everyone has been looking for you."

"Sorry, Gin."

"Hello, Ginny," Luna said with a smile.

"Why are you visiting _him_?" Ginny asked, gesturing to the grave.

"Well, I-I've decided to make sure he is honored the way he should be."

"Harry, you gave him a proper burial. I'm sure that's more than he deserved."

"No, he deserves more, for everything he did."

Ginny shook her head. "Okay, well, can it happen later? We have to go."

"Just give me a moment. I'll catch up."

"Fine."

She took off.

"Have you told her? About what you learned?"

"No. She really hasn't wanted to discuss the battle. It's still hard, having lost Fred. Not as hard as it is for George, but she's…different. She's just healing."

"Well, if you need someone who can listen, Harry, I'm here for you. Always."

He smiled at her, and took one last look at the two graves in front of him. Finally, that weight was gone. He knew what he needed to do. And he knew how he would.


End file.
